Kudos for youth basketball league champions

John Gray’s under-14 male team. There are a total of 14 teams, including six girls teams, in the 14-and-under leagues sponsored by KPMG.

Champions in the 14-and-under basketball leagues have earned congratulations from sponsor KPMG: St. Ignatius in the male category and John Gray High School Wahoo Academy in the female category.

KPMG has sponsored the league for more than six years, during which time the program has grown and improved, not only in terms of students’ involvement, but also in terms of opportunities for the young athletes, a press release states.

A total of 14 teams, including six girls teams, are in the 14-and-under leagues. More than 130 children from public and private schools are involved.

The program’s objectives are to use basketball as a means to transmit key values, including school patriotism and good health habits, and to provide youths with an extracurricular activity that boosts their self-esteem and gives them a purpose, according to the press release.

“The Basketball Association is truly grateful to KPMG for their contributions which go way beyond their sponsorship dollars; they have actually provided volunteers to help run the program. This embodies the true spirit of giving back, which involves something far more valuable than money – a person’s time,” says Coach Victor “Voot” O’Garro.

This year the program allowed some young athletes to take part in summer camps abroad. On a different level, Arin Taylor is an example of how the program has positively impacted his academic experience: Arin came through the program and was awarded a scholarship at Vanguard Academy.

Arin Taylor graduated with honors from The Vanguard School.

Andy Stepaniuk, partner at KPMG in the Cayman Islands and a board member of the Cayman Islands Basketball Association, said, “We are extremely proud at KPMG to see the positive impact of such a program on the students involved. This only shows how talented Caymanian youth is.”

For more information about the basketball 14-and-under leagues, contact [email protected]